A dream that refuses to die

Players in spotlight as Santa Clara hosts national tourney

Ross McKeon, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, May 26, 2005

The story of Dominisha Britton is exactly why proponents of women's baseball think there is a professional future for the sport.
A Bay Area native, Britton loved playing baseball as far back as she can remember. With older brothers and a dad showing the way, Britton never felt out of place and certainly was not intimidated by being female on an otherwise all-male diamond.
By age 11, she had made the Suisun American Little League All-Star team. And she continued to play, including a year of prep baseball in her mid-teens at Vanden High in Fairfield.
"I still am welcomed back to throw batting practice," said Britton, whose out-pitch is a sharp-breaking curveball.
Britton, who turns 19 Sunday, will put her pitching prowess on display during the 2005 Bay Area Women's Baseball League National Tournament Friday- Monday in Santa Clara.
The tournament is an offshoot of the California Women's Baseball League, led by Commissioner Melanie Laspina. There are four local teams in the CWBL -- the San Francisco Fillies, Alameda Oaks, San Jose Spitfires and the champion Peninsula Peppers. Five teams will be formed for the tournament, including many players from the CWBL.
"We're recreation now, but we're not a beer league,'' said Laspina, who was an all-league softball catcher at Prospect High in Saratoga. "We're taking baby steps. We have to learn the game. It's a long-term thing.''
The league's regular season, which started in late February, is now complete, clearing the way for the women to showcase their talents in a postseason tournament setting. It's all part of Laspina's master plan.
"We haven't really actively pursued sponsorship yet because I didn't think we had anything to show yet. I want to increase the talent level. With this tournament, I feel comfortable enough now getting people out to our game, '' she said.
The sport got a boost in 2002 when the Amateur Athletic Union sanctioned women's baseball as an official sport, and last summer the International Baseball Federation sanctioned the first Women's World Series. Britton was selected as her team's most valuable player after leading Team USA to the gold medal in Edmonton.
"Eventually, it's going to evolve into women getting paid,'' Laspina said.
"It's real important for younger girls to keep playing so it can keep going,'' said Britton, who attends Morgan State (Maryland) on a softball scholarship. "The more we promote, the more younger girls will have interest."

Weekend games
What: Bay Area Women's Baseball League National Tournament
When: Friday -- Games at 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. Saturday -- Games all day, starting at 8 a.m.; final game at 5 p.m.. Sunday -- Three morning games, starting at 8 a.m., and two afternoon games, beginning at 3:30 p.m.; Monday --
Games at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Where: Mission College, Santa Clara
More info: www.cwbl.net
E-mail Ross McKeon at rmckeon@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page D - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle